Going Backwards fast

[madjock]

I think I have a bad case of the pressman blues, and who can blame me, here is my gripe.
When I came to Canada 11 years ago I was making 36 bucks and hour, pretty good money you will agree, and somewhere near the top of the scale for a first pressman, now 11 years later I am doing the same job, albeit for a different company, and now I am down to 28 bucks an hour.
If you factor in the cost of living pay rises that most people enjoy at around 2.5% a year, I am now earning, in real terms about 40% less than I was in 2000.
I am not very competent at economics, but I sure would like to know how the price of everything, well not everything, but the basic living essentials, can go up so much, yet wages can fall so dramatically.
I am just a whiner, or are lots of other folk in the same predicament?

[Joe]

I think I have a bad case of the pressman blues, and who can blame me, here is my gripe.
When I came to Canada 11 years ago I was making 36 bucks and hour, pretty good money you will agree, and somewhere near the top of the scale for a first pressman, now 11 years later I am doing the same job, albeit for a different company, and now I am down to 28 bucks an hour.
If you factor in the cost of living pay rises that most people enjoy at around 2.5% a year, I am now earning, in real terms about 40% less than I was in 2000.
I am not very competent at economics, but I sure would like to know how the price of everything, well not everything, but the basic living essentials, can go up so much, yet wages can fall so dramatically.
I am just a whiner, or are lots of other folk in the same predicament?

Same situation. It's printing more so than anything else. Probably the worst profession there is. I can guarantee that hookers aren't working for less than they were 20 years ago. But printing people are.

[dabob]

As an owner my income has decreased by over 30% in the last 10 years and one year took nothing out at all . .. its the state of the industry - I'm just happy we are still open and paying the bills and yes our employees have taken pay cuts also.

[rbailleu]

as another owner I am in the same boat, I didn't take a salary for several months from 2008 to 2009. no one got laid off and no one took a paycut. but one person did retire. no one got a raise the last 2 years either. that being said it is a general trend in a lot of industries that pay is going down. look at the auto industry new people hire on at $14/hr. on top of that the dollar has being falling in value too. not sure about the working girls. I don't think I have what it takes to be a male escort. I don't think axe body spray will help

[NJservice]

"I can guarantee that hookers aren't working for less than they were 20 years ago."

well, maybe not if you're talking about the SAME hooker 20 years later!

[txcynna]

It's like that all over. 5 years ago I was making 23/hr... today it's 18/hr and I'm glad to be getting it after being on unemployment several times in the last 3 years.

[Joe]

"I can guarantee that hookers aren't working for less than they were 20 years ago."

well, maybe not if you're talking about the SAME hooker 20 years later!

Ha ha...no, the industry.

[madjock]

Hookers aside, I just don't get that my pay has gone down drastically, yet almost everything I have to buy on a regular basis has gone up in price, including the work that I produce, so how does that work, can someone please explain it to me, and where will we all end up, working for nothing?
I can't help but think we are all being royally shafted here, I doubt that plumbers, electricians and other skilled tradesmen are being paid 1990 pay rates!

[prepressguru]

If printing is not making you a comfortable living, then the question is what are you going to do about it?

I've started taking night courses to train myself to have other skills, and network with people. So when that light at the end of the tunnel fades I can be somewhat prepared. Or find a better opportunity outside of printing before it happens.

p

[RickS]

Basic economics 101. Supply and demand.